Genetic Technology: A New Frontier

The Office of Technology Assessment was created in 1972 as an advisory arm of the U.S. Congress. OTA's basic function is to help legislative policymakers anticipate and plan for the consequences of technological changes and to examine the many ways, expected and unexpected, in which technology affects people's lives. The assessment of technology calls for exploration of the physical, biological, economic, social, and political impacts that can result from applications of scientific knowledge. OTA provides Congress with independent and timely information about the potential effects- both beneficial and harmful- of technological applications.

Chapter 1. Summary: Issues and Options, Chapter 2. Introduction, Part I: Biotechnology Part II: Agriculture Part III: Institutions and Society